How to become a police officer in Ireland
Ireland has a single national force, An Garda Síochána, and a single national competition. You enter as a Garda Trainee, and recruitment runs through the Public Appointments Service at publicjobs.ie rather than through the Gardaí directly.
The training
The Foundation Training Programme incorporates a Level 7 Bachelor of Arts in Applied Policing, accredited by the University of Limerick and delivered in three phases. 36 weeks at the Garda College in Templemore leads to attestation as a Probationer Garda.
The route
Apply through publicjobs.ie in the national competition and sit the Stage 1 assessments. Top-ranked candidates proceed to a Stage 2 online interview. Vetting, medical and physical competency testing run alongside, then the Garda College.
What catches people out
Trainees are not on salary. For the 36 weeks to attestation you receive a flat allowance instead, with accommodation and meals provided free at the College, and the pay scale only begins once you are attested — a detail that changes the first-year arithmetic considerably. The allowance and the scale are set out in the salary section below.
Garda salary in Ireland
Two distinct phases, and conflating them is the common mistake. As a Garda Trainee you are not on salary at all: you receive a flat allowance of €354 per week for the 36 weeks to attestation, with accommodation and meals provided free at the Garda College. The pay scale begins at attestation — €39,194 starting, rising by annual increment to €60,333 after eight years, plus shift allowance and overtime, which for many members is a substantial addition. Progression beyond that is by promotion to Sergeant and above.
Sources: publicjobs.ie Garda Trainee campaign and garda.ie careers pages, as published at September 2026; neither states an effective date.
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